Residents in the western district of Turkey's capital Ankara were frightened by what sounded like a loud explosion in the second half of the day on July 23. The governorate later issued a statement explaining that the loud bang was caused by an F-16 breaking the sound barrier during a test flight. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, this causes a loud bang, which is often mistaken for an explosion by people on the ground.
Several twitterians were able to make successful guesses as to the cause of the "explosion."
The explosion heard in Ankara Turkey is probably from a plane’s sonic boom.
— Mohamed K. Ateeq (@ATEEKSTER) July 23, 2018
Meanwhile, journalist Murat Yılmaz is claiming the explosion was actually due to a test flight of a F-16 in Kahramankazan (district of Ankara). https://t.co/maafPZLdXH
— Has Avrat (@hasavrat) July 23, 2018
#Turkish media: The sound heard in the capital #Ankara is not the result of an #explosion, but the penetration of the sound barrier of the F-16 #warplanes
— Romario Hernandes (@Romario14517455) July 23, 2018
While others expressed relief when they learned that nothing terrible had happened.
F-16 test drive sonic boom today at 3pm was the reason of explosion. Ok. The Government of Turkey we trust. How nice these things happen soon after the long last martial law ended. #ankara #patlama #exposion
— Kari Alho (@ikinuari1) July 23, 2018
#DEVELOPING The loud explosion heard mainly in #Ankara stems from a sonic boom during a F16 test flight, governorate has announced in a statement. #Turkey
— Raveen Aujmaya (@raveenaujmaya) July 23, 2018
No need to panic, they’re testing out a flight
— mazz (@maz_za_) July 23, 2018
